Sherlock

Thanks to the official start of filming on the long-awaited third series of Sherlock, we’re finally getting some real information about what the new episodes of the drama might hold in store for fans. We already know that the first episode of Series 3 will be called The Empty Hearse and will feature (at least in part) some sort of take on the How-Sherlock-Holmes-Comes-Back-From-the-Dead plot from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Empty House.

Now with the advent of the series first bit of public shooting this week, further details about the new episodes have started to surface and a few filming photos have started to appear. (This is all going under the jump to protect anyone who’s trying not to find out anything about the new season before it airs, but other than official casting news, it’s spoiler free.)

As previously mentioned, after what feels like a waiting period of basically my entire life, filming has officially begun on the highly anticipated third series of Sherlock. And now, straight from the horse’s mouth – or rather, from its computer, thanks to the Twitter account of co-creator Mark Gatiss – we know the official name of the first episode of the new season.

Fans have been waiting for this day for so long, it probably ought to be some sort of official international holiday, but at last, it is finally here – filming on the highly anticipated third series of Sherlock begins today.

Set designer Arwel Wyn Jones has been tweeting up a storm during the past few weeks of pre-production and has recently shared what is possibly his best behind-the-scenes photo yet. With filming imminent, Wyn Jones has tweeted a pretty fantastic complete panoramic view of the full set for the 221b Baker Street flat, all dressed and fancy and up close and personal.

Congrats to everyone for surviving the horrifying ten month wait with little-to-no Sherlock news to speak of whatsoever, because apparently we have reached the promised land and the floodgates of Series 3 information have opened. Following the announcement of the official start of production on Series 3 and first episode read-through yesterday, there’s actually even better news to share. (Yes, really.)

[Normally I feel a bit bad about doing two posts on the blog in a row about the same topic, but since this news really is pretty exceptionally awesome, I hope everyone will forgive me.]

Nope, that’s not a typo in the headline – the event we’ve all been waiting for is finally happening – production on the highly anticipated third series of Sherlock is officially underway! While actual filming doesn’t commence until next Monday (March 18), the cast assembled for a read-through of the script of the first episode slated to be shot for the new season. No idea what episode they read today, but since co-creator Mark Gatiss has traditionally been the fastest writer to finish his Sherlock scripts, the smart money is on this being the one based on reunion story The Empty House, whatever they choose to call it. (Start stockpiling your tissues now, maybe?)

The best part of all of this is that finally there is actually some new Sherlock information to report – carry on reading for some new production details, casting tidbits and a slightly larger version of what is possibly the best new photo ever (which you can see to your left).

So, it’s pretty safe to say that a lot of us out here are all waiting intentlyanxiouslyrabidlypatiently with a great deal of longing for the return of Sherlock for Series 3. With the news that Series 3 production has been pushed back until March, we’ve all been vaguely despondent and increasingly starved for any information about the new episodes. (This is why stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman get asked about the show whenever they do a public appearance, even if it’s for some other project. People are dying for any new tidbit no matter how small.)

What do we know? The basics: Series 3 filming starts in March, will probably run into some point in May, and we’ll likely see a UK transmission date of very late 2013 (my personal guess is Christmas). America, despite everyone’s best intentions, I don’t think we’ll be seeing Sherlock on our side of the Pond until 2014.

But fear not, fellow Sherlock fans, though we’ve all got a significant wait still to go no matter where we live, the wheels have finally started to turn a bit on Series 3. (FINALLY!) Though principal photography doesn’t start until March, the magical people behind-the-scenes are starting to get things rolling. Click through for the latest behind-the-scenes news on the return of everyone’s favorite consulting detective, including confirmation of our first Series 3 director, early details on what sorts of villains we might see and some fun photos from production team.

The second series of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ modern-day Holmes adaptation edged out US critical darling Homeland and BBC Two’s Olympic mockumentary Twenty Twelve for the top honor. Everyone’s favorite costume drama Downton Abbey clocked in at Number 8 on the Radio Times poll.

RadioTimes.com editor Tim Glanfield said: "Sherlock delivered the TV event of the year with three perfect episodes. Nothing got people talking more than that cliffhanger series finale." Glanfield added that Sherlock won the vote “easily,” despite the fact that the series aired eleven months ago in the UK.

Responding via email to the news that his drama had nabbed the top slot Moffat wrote, “I've just had a word with all the others, and we're so pleased by this latest accolade from the Radio Times, we've decided to tell you how Sherlock survived the fall – oops, we're out of space!” (This would probably be a funnier response if we didn’t have the better part of a year’s worth of Reichenbach Fall “jokes” to “look forward” to, but it’s lovely that the creative team is chuffed about winning!)

See the rest of the Top 40 TV Shows of 2012 as chosen by the Radio Times pool of writers and critics over here.

Sherlock and Downton Abbey fans have something to celebrate this holiday season – the news that their favorite leading men are going to be in a film together!

Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was confirmed to star as the infamous Julian Assangein a biopic about the whistleblower’s life earlier this fall, and now it looks like Downton’s Dan Stevens will be joining the film’s all-star cast as well. Hip hip hooray!

Tentatively titled The Man Who Sold the World, the film will be directed by Bill Condon and written by West Wing alum Josh Singer, based on the books Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website and Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy. It will dramatize the tumultuous years in Assange’s life following the launch of the notorious Wikileaks site in 2006. The site went on to leak anonymous corporate and government documents from around the world to the public and, as a result, Assange is currently seeking asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Want more details? Read on.

However, there appears to be little to worry about where the future of Sherlock is concerned – and that’s news straight from the star himself. In a recent interview with Yahoo UK, ostensibly to talk about his role in the upcoming Star Trek sequel, the actor did have one particularly interesting thing to say about Sherlock. Asked whether his current big screen success means that he might “get too big for Sherlock” in the future, Cumberbatch seems adamant that that will never be the case.

Sad news for Sherlock fans everywhere – we’re going to have to wait a bit longer than we originally thought for production on the highly anticipated third series of the hit drama to get started.

Entertainment Weeklyis reporting that filming on Series 3 – originally slated to get under way this January – has been pushed back until March. Considering filming was originally supposed to wrap by the end of March, we’re probably now looking at something like June before principal production finishes up.